


Nothing Gold Can Stay

by Mahlerman



Category: Big Bang (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Sorry?, awkward bros, jokes not really, lol they don't like hyunseung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-22
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 22:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1999947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mahlerman/pseuds/Mahlerman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The friendship between Jiyong and Seunghyun was golden. Unfortunately, nothing gold can stay.</p><p>Jiyong and Seunghyun were best friends since kindergarten, until Jiyong moved cross-country to California in seventh grade. When he returns several years later, he finds his hometown and its inhabitants have changed drastically.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Gold Can Stay

**_2nd Grade_ **

         Two little boys played in the grass lawn behind a large russet house. Giggling impishly, they darted between the trees at the edge of the woods. One was skinny as a rake, a mischievous grin playing on his fox-like face. His pudgy friend seemed to bounce gleefully as he sprinted across the leaf litter.

 

         A surprised shout tinged with laughter cut through the air as the skinny boy tackled the pudgy one to the ground.

 

         "You are hereby under arrest for robbing the Grand Warlock of his prized magic jewels, Mister, or should I say Convict, Choi. You must now come quietly to serve your sentence," the skinny boy announced, sitting firmly on his companion's stomach. 

 

         "You'll never take me alive, Constable Kwon! I swear on my mother's grave!" the pudgy boy wheezed, valiantly struggling to throw off his aggressor.

 

         ‘Constable Kwon’ gave his side-eyed his friend. "Your mother's still alive, idiot, unless those cookies we just ate were baked by a ghost," he deadpanned.

 

         "My theoretical mother is rotting away in a coffin somewhere. Stop breaking character, Jiyong," 'Convict Choi' huffed, poking his friend in the ribs.

 

         "Jesus Seunghyun, calm down. Ahem. You leave me no choice but to subdue you with magic. I shall now cast upon your blackened soul the Plague of the Conifers!" With a flourish, Jiyong grabbed a handful of pine needles and threw them in Seunghyun's face.

 

         Seunghyun sputtered, trying to dislodge the needles from his mouth. He managed to roll out from underneath his attacker, sending him sprawling on the ground.

 

         "What are conifers?" Seunghyun asked, scraping dirt off his tongue.

 

         "Pine trees," Jiyong said loftily, "We learned about 'em when you were out sick."

 

         Seunghyun snorted. "You are such a liar, Ji. Hyunseung said that we learned about starfish that day."

 

         "No, I'm not! Hyunseung's the liar, and he's stupid. All he cares about are his stupid starfish and getting Hyuna to like him."

 

         "I guess so. He put napkin pieces in his yogurt and ate it when we were in kindergarten," Seunghyun mused.

 

         "Exactly. That's why you should never believe anything he says."

 

         The pair laid flopped onto their backs and stared up at the leafy canopy of the forest, falling into a comfortable silence. It was broken when Seunghyun asked, "Hey, wanna be spies next?"

 

         "Okay, Agent Choi, what's our mission?" 

 

         "No, silly, we need code names first. The enemy'll find our real identities and torture our families and stuff if we use our real names."

 

         A pensive expression stole over Jiyong's face. "I'll be G-Dragon. Because Ji’s like G and yong is dragon in Korean." He puffed out his chest with pride at that spark of ingenuity.

 

         Seunghyun nodded his approval. "Hmm, how am I supposed to beat something like that? I guess I'll be TOP...with all capital letters. Y’know, to be on _top_ of you."

 

         The newly christened G-Dragon raised his eyebrows skeptically and quipped, "That's super lame."

 

         "Shut up," Seunghyun grumbled, "It’s not like G-Dragon's any better."

 

         "Is too! G-Dragon's cool and mysterious. TOP's just weird."

 

         "No it's not! It's got all capital letters!"

 

         "Seunghyun, time to go!" A woman's voice floated across the backyard. "Your mother's here to pick you up."

 

         Seunghyun blinked, then sighed. "Guess I have to go to my piano lesson now. See you later, Ji. Or should I say G-Dragon."

 

         "Why do you have to leave? The future of humanity is our responsibility and you're just going to up and go to play _piano_ ," Jiyong whined.

 

         "Humanity can wait. My teacher get's super scary when I'm late. Hehe, that rhymed. Maybe I should become a rapper, Jiyong."

 

         "Oh god, please don't," Jiyong groaned. "See you tomorrow...TOP."

        

Seunghyun grinned and clambered to his feet, brushing pine needles off his butt. He threw what he probably assumed was a charismatic wink at his friend, before beginning the trek back towards the house. Jiyong rolled his eyes and flopped back onto the ground.

 

         **_6th Grade_**

"G-Dragon, I would like to inform you that we have successfully evaded capture of the gnashing maws of our first year of middle school. There were several close calls, but we made it out in one piece."

 

         Seunghyun smiled indulgently down at Jiyong, who looked up with raised eyebrows.

 

         "You realize that passing with straight A's usually isn't classified as a close call, Seunghyunnie."

 

         "It's TOP, dammit! Seunghyunnie isn't badass enough."How did you even do that, anyways? I've seen you study for a total of fifteen minutes all year, and you still manage to beat me on every single test."

 

         "Talent rises to the top, _TOP,_ " Jiyong snickered, "And stop complaining, it's not like you're ever more than two points behind me. Who uses words like 'gnashing maws' in everyday conversations, anyways?"

 

         "TOP does!" Seunghyun sang, skipping down the sidewalk.

 

         Jiyong chuckled as he looked at his friend. Despite his cavalier tone, he immensely relieved that sixth grade had finally drawn to a close. Middle school had not been kind to Seunghyun. With the hormones and insecurities blossoming in the pubescent student body, Choi Seunghyun, the smartass classical music nerd with the rotund physique and puffy cheeks, had been the perfect target. As a result, Seunghyun had wound up in in the principal's office several times throughout the year, sporting a black eye and sore knuckles. Jiyong accompanied him sometimes, lip stinging and righteously indignant, but their new schedules kept the dynamic duo apart for most of the day.

 

         It had been a strange feeling. Ever since Jiyong had spilled juice on Seunghyun's brand, spanking new piano exercise book in kindergarten, he and Seunghyun had become inseparable. After Seunghyun had finished crying and blubbering death threats to his new best friend, Jiyong had learned that inside the chubby boy with the Beethoven fetish lurked a mind brewing with wicked intelligence, biting sarcasm, and nefarious plans. Jiyong had always been a precocious little brat, and finding another precocious little brat to share his plotting with had been a dream come true.

 

         "C'mon, Ji, hurry up," Seunghyun whined, dragging his friend down the sidewalk and snapping him out of his reminiscence, "I found the _perfect_ spot to be our new base."

 

         Jiyong's Eyebrow of Skepticism™ was on the rise. "Is this like the time in third grade when you made our 'base' next to the river, only to have it flood in the spring, taking my brand new Gameboy Color to the bottom of the reservoir?"

 

         Seunghyun had the gall to look miffed. "It was your own fault for leaving it there in the first place. Anyways, I was young and foolish back then. This time it really is the perfect place."

 

         When Seunghyun led him to a small copse of trees a few minutes later, Jiyong couldn't help but agree. Sunlight filtered through the arching branches of birch and pine, dappling the ground with spots of buttery gold. A thatch of pine needles and leaves carpeted the forest floor, and large granite boulders broke through like enormous gray whales emerging from the ground.

 

         "Wow," was all Jiyong managed, as he stared, gaping.

 

         "I told you so," Seunghyun said smugly, seating himself on one of the boulders. They sat for a while, chattering about their summer plans (Seunghyun's going to music camp in the Berkshires and Jiyong's going to visit family in South Korea), when Seunghyun suddenly said, "Y'know, we should leave some kind of marker here so other people don't try to take this place over."

 

         "What are you, a cat pissing on a tree to mark its territory?" Jiyong snorted, "Who would want to take over a place in the middle of the woods?"

 

         "Be more loyal to your base of operations, you traitorous fiend," Seunghyun declared, "We'll both be gone all summer, and who knows what kind of vermin will try to steal away our land."

 

         "Suit yourself," Jiyong yawned, lying down and closing his eyes. He snored pointedly when Seunghyun gave him a halfhearted poke. Jiyong didn't plan to actually fall asleep, but with the twitter of birds and soft rustling of the wind, he found himself dozing off.

 

         When Jiyong opened his eyes, he saw the sun sinking below the horizon and Seunghyun bent over a tree.

 

         "Are you actually pissing on a tree to mark your territory?" Jiyong asked idly, playing with a fallen leaf.

 

         Seunghyun looked over his shoulder and glared balefully at Jiyong. He shifted to the side, so Jiyong could see the wobbly 'GD+TOP' carved into the bark.

 

         "Ah, so you're just defiling nature," Jiyong remarked, though he shifted closer to get a better look. Seunghyun smacked him playfully. "Stop raining on my parade, asshole."

 

         He yelped as Jiyong caught him in a headlock. He squirmed fruitlessly while Jiyong calmly contemplated his work.

 

         "Doesn't this kinda remind you of those cheesy hearts that couples carve in picnic tables and stuff? If people see this they'll think its the awkward secret meeting place of some gross cutesy boyfriend and girlfrie- wait. That's the perfect disguise!"

 

         Seunghyun stopped wriggling and stared up at Jiyong, eyes sparking with comprehension.

 

         "If people think this is the secret hideout of a frolicking couple-"

 

         "Then they'll automatically want to avoid it! I'm a genius."

 

         "Hey, it was _my_ idea. You just-"

 

         "Perfected it."

 

         "Shut up. And let go."

 

         Jiyong preened and released his hold on Seunghyun's neck. He picked up a stone and carved a jagged curve around their names. The pair departed, chortling over their ironic marker and bickering over who should be the girlfriend in their pseudo-romance (Seunghyun lost on the grounds, "But you look like your about to give birth to a food-baby." "What, so you knocked me up with _food_?").

 

         Against the dark tree bark, the pale lines of their carving gleamed faintly in the moonlight.                      

 

         **_7th Grade_**

Jiyong stepped into the clearing, the moss and fallen leaves muffling his footsteps. He looked around, gaze eventually falling on a tree. Their tree. More importantly, the small lump of Choi Seunghyun that was curled up under the crooked heart and wobbly code names.        

        

         Jiyong settled himself next to the lump.

        

         "It's not the end of the world," he said halfheartedly, patting the top of the lump awkwardly.

        

         "You and I both know that's complete and utter bullshit," the lump responded in a muffled voice.

        

         "Don't be so melodramatic, Seunghyunnie," Jiyong sighed, though a large part of him agreed with Seunghyun's sentiment. "We'll still be able to email and stuff."

        

         Seunghyun his head and stared at Jiyong with red-rimmed eyes

        

         "Dammit, Ji, you're moving to the other side of the country," Seunghyun snarled, his voice cracking slightly, "and you think a fucking _email_ is going to cut it?"

        

         "It's not like I want to go to California," Jiyong snapped, "Stop making it sound like I'm abandoning you."

        

         Seunghyun grimaced and leant against the tree.

        

         "Can I kidnap you and keep you locked up in my basement forever?" he asked, studying his large, soft palms.

        

         "Ew, bro, your basement is full of rats," Jiyong joked hollowly. "At least keep me in the kitchen with all the food."

        

         Seunghyun snorted. Jiyong felt something loosen in his chest when the small smile finally broke through Seunghyun's heartbroken expression.

        

         "Man, am I going to miss this ugly mug," Jiyong mused, grabbing Seunghyun's ample cheeks and squeezing heartily. He was rewarded with a reproachful glare.

        

         For the first few months, they wrote to each other often and video-chatted regularly, for the first few months. However, as idle summer months slipped into fall, school started up again and the daily emails became weekly, then monthly. Jiyong started hanging out with a boy named Youngbae, a 'super cool guy, I swear Seunghyunnie, he's so awesome, I wish you could meet him,' and in response Seunghyun threw himself into long hours of piano practice. By the time the duo entered high school, contact between them had fizzled out into nothingness.

************************

            In a clearing in the woods, a tree stood, bearing the rough etchings of a pair of hyperactive tweens. A bird flew overhead, casually emptying its bowels. The sludge of digested beetles and uric acid dribbled down the trunk, drawing a gray line down the middle of a crooked heart, splitting the weatherworn 'GD+TOP.' 

**Author's Note:**

> didn't exactly check this with a fine toothed comb, so if you notice any odd grammar/sentence structure pls let me know ^^
> 
> concrit is welcome


End file.
